1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to exercise apparatus for use in performing bodyweight exercises.
2. Background of the Invention
The use of bodyweight exercises is increasingly recognised as one of the most effective methods of developing and maintaining a person's functional fitness and strength. There are certain bodyweight exercises, including push ups, decline and incline push ups, dips, assisted dips, chin ups, assisted chin ups, bodyweight rows, abdominal and lower back exercises, leg squats and variations thereon, which may be considered fundamental.
Whilst many of the bodyweight exercises described above may be carried out with various pieces of equipment found in gymnasiums or the home, the prior art does not reveal a piece of equipment on which a person can do them all. A single person requiring several pieces of equipment for bodyweight exercises can cause inconvenience to other gym users. Alternatively an individual may be personally inconvenienced by spending time setting up equipment or waiting for it to become available to use. A person requiring several pieces of equipment for a circuit of bodyweight exercises also requires more space than would be the case with using a single apparatus.
Additionally, as equipment used for bodyweight exercises is often not specifically designed for that purpose, it may lack usability and versatility. By way of example, bodyweight rows, where an individual uses the muscles of the arms and back to lift his or herself, are usually performed by holding a horizontal bar such as ‘Smith’ machine bar, with feet on the floor or on an exercise ball. As the individual pulls themselves up towards the bar, their feet should be able to move to compensate and therefore allow a full and fluid exercise movement. If the individual has to keep their feet in one position on the floor it is difficult to achieve a full and fluid range of movement, with their feet on a ball, it is only marginally less so. Furthermore, the choice of angle for the exercise, and thus the emphasis on different muscle groups, is limited to either the angle created by keeping the feet on the floor, or that created by keeping the feet on the exercise ball.
A further example of an exercise that lacks specific equipment is decline push ups. To perform these, a person usually places their feet in a position above their head, such as against a wall, or on wall bars. This is often an unsatisfactory arrangement as the exercise movement is not fluid, nor is it easy to achieve a full range of movement. The person's feet are forced to remain in one position, yet the exercise demands a compensating movement as the distance between the person's hands and feet changes during the performance of the exercise. There are similar difficulties with performing push ups, incline push ups, assisted dips and assisted chin ups.
Many people, particularly when commencing an exercise regime, or undergoing physical rehabilitation do not possess adequate strength or fitness to perform the bodyweight exercises described above without some form of assistance. Additionally there are those who may need assistance in exercising using their bodyweight because their muscles are tiring during a workout. Many known apparatus used for bodyweight exercises such as push up handles, chin up bars, and dip bars do not provide assistance for users. If the user cannot lift their entire bodyweight these apparatus are of no use to them. Apparatus, for example ‘multi gyms’, that do have means to assist in bodyweight exercises, such as counterweight systems, tend to be complex and heavy. Thus there is a need for apparatus that can provide assistance to a user performing bodyweight exercises, whilst at the same time remaining relatively simple, and avoiding the use of heavy counterweight systems and their accompanying complexity.
A characteristic of much known exercise apparatus for circuit and strength training, such as for example, home multi gyms, exercise stations in fitness centres, inclinable sliding boards and weight benches, is the requirement for the user to sit or lie down whilst exercising. At a time when many people lead sedentary lifestyles in the workplace and at home there is a need for strength and circuit training apparatus that largely avoids requiring the user to sit or lie down while exercising. This is particularly important because it is recognised in the fitness community that one of the most effective methods of building balanced fitness and strength is through exercising a user's stabilising muscles, particularly the abdominal and spinal erector muscles. Exercising these muscles is particularly crucial in helping prevent the poor posture and lower back pain associated with sedentary lifestyles, and these muscles tend not to be effectively utilised when exercising in a seated or lying position.
Additionally, where a user has to stabilise themselves during exercise, many more muscle groups are involved and thus developed than is the case where the user is in a supported position using a fixed trajectory resistance, such as with a ‘multi gym’. There are therefore considerable benefits associated with apparatus that ensure the user is required to stabilise themselves whilst exercising—a more effective workout, with associated greater time efficiency, and balanced muscular development.
A further characteristic of much known exercise apparatus for circuit and strength training, such as home ‘multi gyms’ and fixed trajectory resistance exercise stations in fitness centres, is that the user is often limited to exercising specific muscle groups in isolation from others. A disadvantage in training muscle groups in isolation, using such apparatus as described above, is that imbalances of strength or fitness between different muscle groups may be created. Such imbalances are known to increase the risk of injury to the body.
Additionally, in an era where people are ever busier, a major disadvantage with training muscle groups in isolation is that the user requires more time to complete a full body workout than is the case where multiple muscle groups are exercised simultaneously using bodyweight exercises. There are therefore further advantages to be gained from an exercise apparatus for exercising multiple muscle groups in synergy.
Military personnel on deployments may go without proper exercise equipment due to constraints of space and weight caused by the incumbent disadvantages of much known strength and fitness training apparatus. The majority of such apparatus is heavy and bulky, often due to weights being used to provide resistance, which can make transportation and storage of the apparatus difficult. Additionally complex apparatus can be time consuming to set up and, if necessary, dismantle and often requires considerable space to be exclusively dedicated to their use. Furthermore, servicing of complex apparatus can be problematic in operational situations. A readily transportable, robust and low maintenance apparatus for bodyweight exercises (which are of particular relevance to military personnel) would be of great value to military personnel in helping develop and maintain their functional fitness requirements on operations.
In an age when many people have exercise equipment at home, there is a need for relatively lightweight and simple (when compared to home multi gyms with weight stacks) strength training apparatus to meet the needs of those who may live in apartments, or who move home frequently. Existing apparatus that use weights may be inconvenient to install or move for such persons.
The main advantage of the choice of resistance levels that are available with ‘multi gyms’ and fixed trajectory resistance exercise stations is substantially diminished if an apparatus for bodyweight exercises can be provided with a system for assisting the user.